Card punching device



June 13, 1967 E 5 S 3,325,096

CARD PUNCHING DEVICE Filed Jan. 27, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. I

INVENTOR E. 5 EAST s I 1 Q LA AT'TO EYS',

FIG. 2

June 13, 1967 E. E. EAST 3,325,096

CARD PUNCHING DEVICE Filed Jan. 27, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR E. EEAST BY W.

fifim agggm ATT June 13, 1967 E. E. EAST CARD PUNCHING DEVICE 4Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Jan. 27, 1966 'FIG. 5

INVENTOR E E EAST ATTORNEY-7.

June 13, 1967 E. E. EAST CARD PUNCHING DEVICE Filed Jan. 27, 1966 4Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG. 8

INVENTOR E. 5. EAST United States Patent 3,325,096 CARD PUNCHING DEVICEElvin E. East, 412 24th Ave. E., Cordele, Ga. 31015 Filed Jan. 27, 1966,Ser. No. 523,354 9 Claims. (Cl. 234-106) This invention relates ingeneral to the field of machine accounting and more particularly to adevice for punching holes in a business machine card at locationsindicative of desired information.

One of the major problems in machine accounting systems such as thoseutilized in consumer billing operations is punching informationindicating holes on the large volume of business machine cards whichserve as the initial input to computers. The succeeding steps of billingand record keeping can be controlled by computers, but the punchingoperation must normally be done by manually controlled machines locatedin a central oflice. The labor needed for this operation is a seriousitem of expense, and in addition can delay the operation as either thework load or the labor force fluctuates. Punching of cards at the pointwhere the initial billing information is derived as, for example, at agas station in a gasoline card credit operation, or at meters indicatingthe consumption of electricity, water, or gas would avoid this obstacle,but key punching machines in general are too expensive to be used sowidely. In addition, cards can be punched at the initial location onlyif the least skilled person likely to use the machine can reliably punchcards, As a result, handwritten notations are normally made at the pointwhere the original information is collected, and these are forwarded toa central oflice where the large volume of cards to be punched createsan obstacle to the orderly processing of such records.

While some devices have been proposed for automatically punching suchcards, they have been gene-rally complex and expensive. One reason forthis has been the need for a fairly substantial force to force a punchthrough a card. Complex mechanisms are normally used to brace and holdthe punches during this cutting operation, or to move them against thecards.

Among the objects of this invention is the provision of a card punchingmechanism which is (1) simple and inexpensive enough in construction tobe widely used as, for example, on all gasoline pumps of an oil company,or all meters of a utility company, or at all restaurants participatingin a credit card system, (2) which is simple enough in operation to beused by the least reliable member of the public or employee likely touse it, (3) which is capable of being made secure enough to minimizeunauthorized tampering, (4) which can be simply connected to a ratemeasuring device such as a gasoline pump fiowmeter to punch holesindicative of quantities measured by the meter, (5) which can produceprinted records readable by individuals who do not know the hole punchlocation code used, and (6) which does not require complex punch bracingor moving mechanisms and is accordingly of inexpensive construction.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective of a cord punching device in accordance with thepersent invention;

FIG. 2, a section on the line 2--2 of FIG. 1

FIG. 3, a section on the line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4, a section on the line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5, a fragmentary side view illustrating a portion of the reverseside of the machine illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6, a perspective view of another modification of the invention;

FIG. 7, a sectional view similar to FIG. 2 of still another modificationof the invention; and

3,325,096 Patented June 13, 1967 FIG. 8, a fragmentary plan view, partlyin section, of the machine of FIG. 7.

Briefly stated, in one embodiment of the invention the objects desiredare accomplished by a card punching device that includes ten camsmounted on a rotatable shaft arranged to rotate with some measuringdevice such as a time clock, or a gasoline pump fiowmeter. One holecutting punch is mounted above each cam. Successive cams have raisedportions which are spaced about the shafts axis at equi-angularpositions located to successively raise one punch after another to apunching position. The top surface of each raised portion is flat sothat a punch in cutting position can rest upon it and transmit thecutting force to support structure. The punch raised at any particulartime indicates some numerical quantity. Additional rows of punches andassociated shafts carrying cams are aranged to turn of a revolution onthe completion of each revolution of the first shaft. Accordingly, threerows of punches can be arranged, for example, to indicate monetaryquantities up to $9.99.

With further reference to the drawings, a card punching machine of thepresent invention has a base 11 carrying movable punches 12 actuated bycam mechanisms 13, and a recess 15 for receiving a credit card 16 whichhas raised punches 17 for punching holes at locations which willindicate the identity of the customer. Above the base 11 is mounted amovable cover member 20 which includes a business machine card receivingtray 21, lower die plate 22, and upper die plate 23, having punchreceiving openings 24 at positions corresponding to the location of eachof the punches 12 and a paper chip chamber 25.

Cover member 20 has an operating handle 29 and is mounted for parallelmovement relative to the upper surface 30 of base member 11 byparallelogram links 31 pivoted at their lower ends to base 11 and at theupper ends to angle members 33. Angle members 33 are slidably mounted ateach side of the cover member 20 by headed 'bolts 34 which projectthrough slots 35 in the angle members and are fixed to the top of thecover mem ber. Operating handle 29 is fixed to one end of each anglemember 33 and joins them. The sides 37 of base 11 have upwardly raisedportions 38 having guide slots 39 therein for receiving headed bolts 40secured to the side 41 of cover member 20. The end of paper chip chamber25 is closed by a slidable plate 42 to permit emptying of accumulatedpaper chips.

Base 11 carries three rows of ten punches each. Normally greater numbersof rows are provided, but the number of rows has been reduced tosimplify illustration and explanation. Each punch 12 is slidably mountedin guide openings 45 in upper guide plate 46 and lower guide plate 47.Each punch includes an upper cutting end 48 mounted in opening 45 inupper guide plate 46, a central shoulder 49, which abuts against lowerguide plate 47, and a lower follower portion 50 which projects throughopening 51 in lower guide plate 47. A coil spring 53 surrounds uppercutting portion 48 and acts between shoulder 49 and washer 54 which isin engagement with upper guide plate 46 to normally hold a punch 12 inits lower inoperative position.

Below each row of punches is mounted a cam shaft 56 having ten cams 57thereon. Shaft 56 is mounted in bearings 58 fixed in the side walls 37of base 11. Each cam 57 has a cam surface including a lower portion 59which is generally circular and has a radius which is less than thedistance between the axis of cam shaft 56 and the cam follower portion50* of the punch. Lower portion 59 continues in a smooth curve throughrise portion 60 which gradually lifts the punch and then continuous toraised portion 61 located at an appropriate radial distance from the camshaft axis to hold the punch in its upper or cutting position. Raisedportion 61 is followed by a sharp cut-off portion 62 which extends backto lower portion 59 in a direction which is radial to shaft 56. Theraised portion 61 is generally circular about the axis of shaft 56 andextends through substantially 36 of shaft rotation, that is, of acircle. The rise portion extends through the minimum angular distancewhich permits smooth lifting of punch 12. While a punch is being liftedby rise portion 60, another punch is in the raised position. A flag disk64 is fastened to the shaft just inside a side wall 37 of the base 11and has red fiag markings 65 which show through a window 66 when twopunches are raised. The operator then knows that a business machine cardshould not be punched until the red marker is moved past the window.

Cam shaft 56 is turned by a flexible shaft 70 secured to one end.Flexible shaft 70 is connected to some rotating part of a desiredmeasuring device, for example, a time clock as in FIG. 6. If desired,the mechanism of the present invention can be built integrally withmeasuring devices such as meters and a direct mechanical connection (notshown) can be provided to turn cam shaft 56.

A removable hand-wheel 71 is fixed to the opposite end of cam shaft 56to permit manual positioning of the cams. The hand-wheel carriesnumerical indicators 72 which are aligned with a pointer mark 73 paintedon the side of base 11. When a numeral is directly aligned with thepointer mark, only one punch of a cam is in the raised position.Accordingly, there is no necessity to see flag window 66 which thehand-wheel overlies. The hand-Wheel is removed when it is desired toprevent unauthorized changing of the punch position, and the flag windowis then visible. The necessity for limiting the use of the device totimes when only one punch is raised can be eliminated by appropriateprogramming of the computer used with the cards. The computer can beprogrammed to read only one hole on the card should two holes appear ina row on the same card.

A Geneva mechanism 74 is provided to turn successive cam shafts 56b and560 of a revolution upon completion of one revolution by the nextpreceding shaft. Cam shaft 56 carries a pin-wheel 75 having a single pin76 thereon which engages a radial slot 77 on disk 78 fixed to shaft 56b.Disk 78 has ten radial slots 77 equally spaced about its periphery. Asimilar slotted disk 8-1 on shaft 56b is turned of a revolution by anappropriately positioned pin 82 on disk 78.

Shaft 56 carries a printer-wheel 84 which projects through printed slots85 in the upper and lower guide plates 46 and 47 and lower die plate 22.Similar printer-wheels 84b and 840 are fixed to shafts 56b and 56c andare positioned at different axial positions on their respective shaftsso that they overlap each other. An inking mechanism 86 is fixed to thebottom of base 11 below the printer-wheels. Indicator wheels 87 and 88are positioned on the ends of shafts 56b and 560 adjacent hand-wheel 71.

The device is easy to use. Assume, for example, that the machine isconnected to a gasoline pump and the sale has been completed. Theoperator places the customers credit card 16 in recess and a businessmachine card in tray 21. He checks to make certain that no flag mark 65shows in window 66 and then pulls operating handle 29 and thus punchesthe business machine card with desired indicia showing the amount of thecustomers purchase and the identity of the purchaser. If a flag mark 65is visible, he advances the shaft slightly by either use of handwheel 71or by delivering a little more gasoline to the customer. This flagchecking operation could be eliminated if desired by programming thecomputer so that it acted upon the reading of only one hole when twoholes appear in the same row. If the customer makes additional purchasessuch as oil, the operator sets the charge for such purchases by use ofhand-wheel 71 and punches additional cards. Two or more cards can bepunched at the same time; one of these, perhaps the printed card, couldbe given to the customer as his receipt.

FIG. 6 illustrates another embodiment of the invention intended for useswherein the differences in two quantities are to be computed, forexample, on a time clock 99 in which the elapsed time between enteringand leaving the working place is to be computed. A stop bar 100 fits inslots 102 on a raised portion of the side wall of the base 111. The stopbar is positioned in any desired set of slots and the business machinecard is inserted until it reaches that slot. When it is desired torecord the second quantity, as, for example, when employees leave work,the bar is moved to a different pair of slots 102. In each case, thecard is punched, the operation of the machine being generally similar tothat disclosed in FIGS. 1 to 5 except that the card is held on the basemember during the punching operation rather than the cover member. Thecard is thereafter used as the input to a computer that figures theworkers elapsed time, pay due for that time, the necessary salarydeductions, and prints the pay check.

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate a different modification of the invention. Anumber of rows of punches 117 are mounted in a base member 118. Twoslidable cam bars 119 and 120 are mounted beneath each row of punches inslots 122 in base 118. Each cam bar has a raised cam portion 124 nearone end and a lower surface 125 extending through the rest of itslength. Lower surface 125 is below the cam follower portion 150 of thepunches at all times, but raised camming portion 124 is sufficientlyhigh to raise the punches to their cutting position. Each bar hasnumerals from 1 to 12 marked thereon at distances corresponding to thespacing of the punches, numeral 1 being the closest to the end of thecam bar and numeral 12 being the furthest from the end. A handle 127 isfixed to the outer end of each cam bar.

A stripping plate 130 is movably mounted relative to the punch upperguide plate 146 by perpendicular rods 132 which are fixed to its lowersurface and project through openings 133 in the punch upper guide plates46' and 47 A coil spring 134 fixed about rods 132 between lower guideplate 147 and a shoulder 135 biases the stripping plate away from upperguide plate 146. Shoulder 135 also serves as a stop to limit the uppermovement of the stripping plate. Cover member 20' is box-like in shapeand has its lower member 22' formed with punch receiving openings '24.Its interior 25 serves as a paper chip chamber.

Except for the differences noted, the structure of the form of theinvention illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8 is otherwise generally similar tothat illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 5.

In use, the structure 110 serves as an inexpensive card punching device.If it is desired to punch holes corresponding to given numbers, both cambars 119 and 120 are slid out as a unit to the designated numberindicator 126. This raises the punch corresponding to that number. Thecard is then punched as before. If it is desired to punch holesindicating letters of the alphabet instead of numbers, two punches areraised by placing cam bars 119 and 120 in different positions. FIGS. 7and 8 illustrate a device for punching with the well recognizedHollerwith code, used by business machine cards, containing eighty rowsof twelve-hole locations in each row. Letters of the alphabet areindicated by punching two holes in the same row at particular locations.The device can be easily modified to punch holes for other code systemsby appropriately spacing the punches.

It will be apparent that card punching apparatus has been provided whichis sufliciently inexpensive in construction to be widely used, which isreliable in operation, and which can be used by individuals with littletraining or skill. In addition, the apparatus of one form of theinvention can be simply connected to devices which measure quantities.

It will be obvious to one skilled in the art that various changes may bemade in the invention without departing from the spirit and scopethereof, and, therefore, the invention is not limited by that which isillustrated in the drawings and described in the specification, but onlyas indicated in the accompanying claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for punching holes in information storage records in whichthe location of a hole indicates particular information, comprising:

a punch supporting frame having a substantially fiat surface and a rowof openings therein,

an elongated rod-like punch having a hole-cutting surface at one end anda cam follower surface at the opposite end mounted in each opening forperpendicular movement of the hole-cutting surface from below to abovethe punch frame surface,

a cam supporting member rigidly fixed below the cam follower portions ofsaid punches,

a cam member movably mounted on the cam supporting member having:

a raised camming surface which in camming position is substantiallyparallel to the punch frame surface and engages a punch cam followersurface to raise the punch to cutting position,

a lower surface located so that it does not engage the cam followersurfaces of the punches immediately above it, and

an intermediate rise surface connecting the raised surface and the lowersurface for gradually lifting the punches to hole-cutting position, and

means for holding an information storage record against the punchsupporting frame, whereby raised portions cut holes in the record.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which there are biasing means mountednormally holding the punch cutting surface below the punch framesurface.

3. The structure of claim 1 in which the cam supporting member comprisesa shaft supporting bearing, the cam member includes:

a shaft rotatably mounted in said bearing for movement about an axisparallel to a row of punch openings in the frame surface,

a circular cam fixed on the shaft below each punch in the said row,

a raised portion on each cam having a surface circumferential about theshaft axis of a radius such that it engages and holds the associatedposition,

a lower surface generated by radii of less than the distance from theshaft axis to the punch cam follower surface,

an intermediate rise portion connecting the lower surface and the raisedsurface of each cam, and

the raised portion of each circular cam being of substantiallyequiangular extent and being equiangularly spaced about the shaft axis.

4. The structure of claim 3 including means to rotate the shaft incoordination with the movement of a quantity measuring mechanism.

5. The structure of claim 4 in which the said means is a flexible shaftconnecting the cam shaft and the shaft of a quantity measuringmechanism.

6. The structure of claim 3 including manual means for rotating the saidshafts.

7. The structure of claim 3 in which there are a number of shafts, a rowof punches associated with each shaft, and substantially similar rotarymeans on each shaft for operating a selected punch in the associated rowof punches, the first shaft having means to rotate an adjacent shaft anamount suflicient to raise one punch associated with the second shaftduring a full revolution of the first shaft.

8. The structure of claim 1 including means to print information on thecard corresponding to that indicated by a punch raised a particulartime.

9. The structure of claim 3, the means for moving the informationreceiving record includes a movable member including a pair of spacedplates having punch-receiving openings therein, and means are providedto move the said pair of plates to a position at which a suitably raisedpunch projects through one of said holes and cuts aninformation-indicating hole in a card held therein.

punch in cutting References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,554,323 5/1951Cade 346-104 3,156,518 11/1964 Bud 346-20 WILLIAM W. DYER, JR., PrimaryExaminer. G. A. DOST, Assistant Examiner.

1. APPARATUS FOR PUNCHING HOLES IN INFORMATION STORAGE RECORDS IN WHICHTHE LOCATION OF A HOLD INDICATES PARTICULAR INFORMATION, COMPRISING: APUNCH SUPPORTING FRAME HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT SURFACE AND A ROW OFOPENINGS THEREIN, AN ELONGATED ROD-LIKE PUNCH HAVING A HOLE-CUTTINGSURFACE AT ONE END A CAM FOLLOWER SURFACE AT THE OPPOSITE END MOUNTED INEACH OPENING FOR PERPENDICULAR MOVEMENT OF THE HOLE-CUTTING SURFACE FROMBELOW TO ABOVE THE PUNCH FRAME SURFACE, A CAM SUPPORTING MEMBER RIGIDLYFIXED BELOW THE CAM FOLLOWER PORTIONS OF SAID PUNCHES, A CAM MEMBERMOVABLY MOUNTED ON THE CAM SUPPORTING MEMBER HAVING: A RAISED CAMMINGSURFACE WHICH IS IN CAMMING POSITION IS SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THEPUNCH TIME FRAME